GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has paid tribute to the former president of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Adrian Saunders, saying it recognises the legacy and contributions he has made, particularly within the framework of inter-American human rights standards and jurisprudence.

The commission said that given their respective mandates, on December 20, 2024, the IACHR and CCJ signed a cooperation agreement with the purpose of establishing a framework for cooperation to promote technical exchange between the parties.

“The IACHR gratefully acknowledges Justice Saunders’ leadership in fostering this collaboration. We recall the landmark case of Quincy McEwan et al v The Attorney General of Guyana, where Justice Saunders reminded that: ‘Civilised society has a duty to accommodate suitably, differences among human beings. Only in this manner can we give due respect to everyone’s humanity. No one should have his or her dignity trampled upon, or human rights denied, merely on account of a difference,” it added.

Last Sunday, Jamaican jurist Winston Anderson was sworn in as the fourth president of the CCJ, pledging to continue fulfilling the role for which it had been established 20 years ago and urging Caribbean countries to fully commit to the court.

Justice Anderson, who has been a judge with the CCJ for the past 15 years, took his oath before Jamaica’s Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen, at a ceremony that was also attended by Justice Saunders and Sir Dennis Byron, who served as the second president of the CCJ.

“The IACHR wishes Justice Saunders the best as he moves into the next chapter of his life and looks forward to continued cooperation with the CCJ under the leadership of President Hon Justice Winston Anderson,” said the IACHR, which is a principal and autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS) and whose mandate stems from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights.